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Misguided compilation (2.5/5)

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 12/04/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"By 1995, the West Coast gangsta rap movement was in full swing, and Los Angeles g-funk outfits such as South Central Cartel had sizable fanbases enough that compilations such as this one saw the light of day. "Murder Squad Nationwide" is a twelve track compilation by South Central Cartel, released soon after their breakthrough N Gatz We Truss. Anchored by their leading duo Havoc and Prodeje, South Central Cartel developed a devoted underground fanbase during the mid-90s on the heels of their contemporaries N.W.A. and Compton's Most Wanted, delivering an enjoyable gangsta rap product. As rappers, S.C.C. could be described as generic, but their tight flows and great production, such as on their 1997 LP All Day Everyday, made their music stand out from the pack of g-funk imitators.

The MurderSquad concept is really just that S.C.C. stretches out the posse-cut idea over a whole album. All but two tracks feature guests, and these include such big names as Ice-T, Spice 1, Ant Banks, Big Mike of the Geto Boys, Treach of Naughty By Nature, L.V., the Chi-Lites, Boss, 3-2, and a whole mess of artists I've never heard of. This makes for some decent star power, but as tends to be the case on most high profile posse cuts, the verses lack direction and tend to be basic, generic shoot-em-up gangsta raps. Surprisingly, the best songs are those with just S.C.C. and no guests. Production is lacking for the most part, and where S.C.C. usually relies on great West Coast production for strength on their LPs, the beats mostly fall flat. "Murder Squad Nationwide" is only for the most devoted South Central Cartel fans.

The tracklist opens with "It's an S.C.C. Thang" (not to be confused with the similarly titled track from N Gatz We Truss), a very nice song with great vocals from the legendary Chi-Lites. Here, the production really works and the performance is high quality. "'G' Slide" is a solid track that displays vintage S.C.C., with basic narratives from the life of a gangster and g-funk production. "No Peace" brings an incredible team of S.C.C., legends Ice-T, Treach from Naughty By Nature, Spice 1, Ant Banks, Boss, and Jel, but the production is a bit lacking and the verses seem a little phoned-in. Overall it's a decent track though, you have to appreciate the star power there. The best song is "Ghetto Got Me Shady," a heartfelt and wonderfully produced look inside the mindstate of a depressed and tired gangster. L.V. makes a soulful appearance and this song is really a standout. Spice 1, G-Nut, and Big Mike show up for the forgettable "Gun Smoke," and it's followed by the seven-minute weed appreciation ode "Pass da Dank," with Spice 1, Ant Banks, 3-2, Mel-Low, and Dee. The production here is very average and the subject matter is a little tired, you can skip over this track too. "Knock on Wood" is better but not exactly memorable, while "On Dat Azz" is very interesting musically with horns and saxes but average verses from the Young Murder Squad. "'187' Squad" is awkward, and the hook and beat are both terrible with nothing to write home about on the lyrical tip either. "Who's da Star" is pretty nice, showing Havoc and Prodeje in a nice light on their own with a cool beat. "Why Must G'z" is more skip material, but the closer "Straight Honey Made" stands out, the album's only R&B song where Portia sings some New Jack Swing over a classy track.

The MurderSquad idea was an interesting concept, but it wasn't executed very well and resulted in very mixed results. Far superior music is to be found on S.C.C.'s mid-90s LPs and Havoc and Prodeje's duo albums. S.C.C. is a solid gangsta rap collective, but this compilation has gone out of print and likely will never be heard from again. There are a few very nice cuts on "Murder Squad Nationwide," but they're few and far between and overall, it's okay to pass over this release."